Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of infections in both the community and hospital. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus continues to be an important nosocomial pathogen and infections are often difficult to manage due to its resistance to multiple antibiotics. Healthcare workers are important source of nosocomial transmission of MRSA. This study by Khanal et al. (2015) aimed to determine the nasal carriage rate of S. aureus and MRSA among healthcare workers at Universal College of Medical Sciences and Teaching Hospital, Nepal and to determine antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates.
A cross-sectional study involving 204 healthcare workers was conducted. Nasal swabs were collected and cultured on Mannitol salt agar. Mannitol fermenting colonies which were gram positive cocci, catalase positive and coagulase positive were identified as S. aureus. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Methicillin resistance was detected using cefoxitin disc diffusion method.
Of 204 healthcare workers, 32 (15.7%) were nasal carriers of S. aureus and among them 7 (21.9%) were carrier of MRSA. Overall nasal carriage rate of MRSA was 3.4% (7/204). Highest MRSA nasal carriage rate of 7.8% (4/51) was found among nurses. Healthcare workers of both surgical wards and operating room accounted for 28.6% (2/7) of MRSA carriers each. Among MRSA isolates inducible clindamycin resistance was observed in 66.7% (2/3) of erythromycin resistant isolates.
The researchers conclude that high nasal carriage of S. aureus and MRSA among healthcare workers (especially in surgery ward and operating room) necessitates improved infection control measures to be employed to control MRSA transmission in our setting. Their research was published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.
Reference: Khanal R, Sah P, Lamichhane P, Lamsal A, Upadhaya S and Pahwa VK. Nasal carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus among healthcare workers at a tertiary care hospital in Western Nepal. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control 2015, 4:39 doi:10.1186/s13756-015-0082-3
The 90’s Club: A Successful Hand Hygiene Adherence Campaign
July 9th 2024The "90’s SwipeSense Club" significantly improved hand hygiene adherence at Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center. By incentivizing adherence through 1990s-themed rewards and using SwipeSense technology to track hygiene practices, the hospital increased adherence rates from 53% in 2021 to 84% by May 2024.
Hand Hygiene Adherence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Safety Is Universal
July 1st 2024Hebah al Zamel, MSN, CIC, CPHQ, an infection preventionist in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a member of ICT's Editorial Advisory Board, describes how hand hygiene is handled in Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qasim.
How Emerging Technologies Increase Hand Hygiene Adherence and Reduce Infections
June 24th 2024Health care-associated infections (HAIs) affect over 680,000 patients annually in the U.S. Unlike manual methods, automated hand hygiene monitoring can significantly improve compliance and reduce HAIs.